Tag Archives: San Francisco Chronicle

Show 564, February 10, 2024: Journalist Farley Elliott, SF Gate, Southern California Bureau Chief Part One

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Farley Elliott at the KLAA Studios

We’re delighted to welcome food journalist Farley Elliott back to the show. Farley Elliott is the new SoCal Bureau Chief for SFGATE. Previously, he was the Senior Editor for Eater Los Angeles, covering food and culture around LA, and his work has also appeared in print, film, and television. He’s also the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks, a book about the long, winding saga of street food in Los Angeles.

Farley joins us to chat about his new beat and provide a preview of what’s soon to come.Along the way he’ll discuss an unusual form of Street Art in Venice with a social message which has attracted national attention and his recent visit to greater Palm Springs where (among other activities) he interviewed Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger at their new restaurant, Alice B. located in Downtown Palm Springs.

“Launched in 1994, SFGATE.com was one of the first large-market media sites in the world and served as the exclusive digital home of the San Francisco Chronicle for 19 years. The site, which was initially known as The Gate until officially becoming SFGATE in 1998, was co-founded by Allen Weiner and John Coate.”

“In 2013, the Chronicle launched a paywalled premium website, sfchronicle.com. Over the next six years, varying amounts of free and premium Chronicle content appeared on SFGATE, then in 2019, the Chronicle and SFGATE officially became two separately run entities with their own editorial staffs and independent newsrooms.”

Show 564, February 10, 2024: Journalist Farley Elliott, SF Gate, Southern California Bureau Chief Part Two

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Farley Elliott at the KLAA Studios

We’re delighted to welcome food journalist Farley Elliott back to the show. Farley Elliott is the new SoCal Bureau Chief for SFGATE. Previously, he was the Senior Editor for Eater Los Angeles, covering food and culture around LA, and his work has also appeared in print, film, and television. He’s also the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks, a book about the long, winding saga of street food in Los Angeles.

Farley continues with us chatting about his expanded new beat and previewing editorial content in the pipeline. Along the way he fills us in on the sudden closing of Pea Soup Andersen’s in Buellton (weeks before their 100th Anniversary) and a reflagged (and renovated) resort in Indian Wells that’s now branded and themed with a men’s clothing line.

“Launched in 1994, SFGATE.com was one of the first large-market media sites in the world and served as the exclusive digital home of the San Francisco Chronicle for 19 years. The site, which was initially known as The Gate until officially becoming SFGATE in 1998.”

“In 2013, the Chronicle launched a paywalled premium website, sfchronicle.com. Over the next six years, varying amounts of free and premium Chronicle content appeared on SFGATE, then in 2019, the Chronicle and SFGATE officially became two separately run entities with their own editorial staffs and independent newsrooms.”

Show 484, July 23, 2022: Owner / Winemaker Bill Scanlin of Deer Hill Vineyards, Layfayette, CA Part One

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Bill Scanlin of Deer Hill Vineyards

“Bill Scanlin’s Deer Hill Vineyards is a small, family-owned vineyard using sustainable processes and 20 plus years of experience to produce truly unique craft wines that are award-winning.”

“The Deer Hill vineyard and tasting room is located in the East Bay area of Northern California, in the beautiful suburb of Lafayette, CA. From San Francisco it is a 40-minute drive. Schedule a tasting to try some of the Deer Hill Vineyards wine and experience the ambiance their property has to offer. The elegant tasting room itself is quite spectacular.”

“The Deer Hill Vineyards estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon is their specialty but they also produce several other varietals, from Sangiovese, to Chardonnay, or Pinot. Deer Hill strives to offer different wines for any mood or occasion. Deer Hill Vineyards wines have even won awards in the San Francisco Chronicle wine competition in 2020 and 2021.”

Owner / Winemaker Bill Scanlin joins us with a glass of award-winning 2017 Sangiovese Lamorinda in hand to pull the cork on all that is Deer Hill Vineyards.

Show 484, July 23, 2022: Owner / Winemaker Bill Scanlin of Deer Hill Vineyards, Layfayette, CA Part Two

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Bill Scanlin of Deer Hill Vineyards

“Bill Scanlin’s Deer Hill Vineyards is a small, family-owned vineyard using sustainable processes and 20 plus years of experience to produce truly unique craft wines that are award-winning.”

“The Deer Hill vineyard and tasting room is located in the East Bay area of Northern California, in the beautiful suburb of Lafayette, CA. From San Francisco it is a 40-minute drive. Schedule a tasting to try some of the Deer Hill Vineyards wine and experience the ambiance their property has to offer. The elegant tasting room itself is quite spectacular.”

“The Deer Hill Vineyards estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon is their specialty but they also produce several other varietals, from Sangiovese, to Chardonnay, or Pinot. Deer Hill strives to offer different wines for any mood or occasion. Deer Hill Vineyards wines have even won awards in the San Francisco Chronicle wine competition in 2020 and 2021.”

Owner / Winemaker Bill Scanlin continues with us with a glass of award-winning 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Lamorinda from Deer Hill Vineyards in hand.

Show 468, April 2, 2022: Allison Ketcham, Proprietor, Ketcham Estate, Healdsburg Part One

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Allison Ketcham of Ketcham Estate

“Mark Ketcham (1955-2020) had long dreamt of owning a Vineyard in the Northern California wine country. That dream came true in 2000 when he purchased a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. The vineyard was quickly converted to 100% Estate Pinot Noir, while retaining the ‘Old Block Pinots’ that were its heritage. The goal was to develop a perfect matrix of Pinot Noir clones, married to the ‘terroir’ of sun, soil, wind and location, all bound by the small creek that borders the perimeter of the property.”

“In 2004, Mark founded Ketcham Estate to make wines from the heritage Pinot vines. Every taste of a Ketcham Estate Pinot tells the story of lovingly tended vines; each vintage yields a perfect balance of bright fruit combined with the acid and structure qualities that make outstanding Pinot Noirs. Ketcham Estate Pinot Noirs are drinkable on their own or paired with California’s bounty of wonderful foods.” Ketcham Estate is now owned and managed by Mark’s wife, Allison Ketcham.

“Ketcham Estate is a 17.5 acre property located in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Thirteen acres are under cultivation. They grow Pinot Noir Dijon Clones: 115, 626, 777, 828, and Pommard 4.”

“Ketcham Estate‘s mission is to make seductive wines with rich fruits, that have structure and balance and are very food friendly. Originally specializing in top-notch Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Ketcham Estate is also now making award-winning Chardonnay, Viognier and Estate grown Pinot Noir Rosé wines.”

“Small annual releases and premium location allow Ketcham Estate to focus on creating exceptional wines and experiences for their friends and family.”

“Ketcham Estate is not about what the famed San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen used to call the “Prismatic Luminescence School of Wine Tasting”, or any type of wine snobbery. Just good wine with food, family and friends. Wine should not be some grand complication and neither is Ketcham’s philosophy.”

Ketcham Estates hosts intimate tastings by appointment on their vineyard estate.

Allie Ketcham is our guest to pull the cork on all that is Ketcham Estate.

Show 468, April 2, 2022: Allison Ketcham, Proprietor, Ketcham Estate, Healdsburg Part Two

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Allison Ketcham of Ketcham Estate

“Mark Ketcham (1955-2020) had long dreamt of owning a Vineyard in the Northern California wine country. That dream came true in 2000 when he purchased a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley. The vineyard was quickly converted to 100% Estate Pinot Noir, while retaining the ‘Old Block Pinots’ that were its heritage. The goal was to develop a perfect matrix of Pinot Noir clones, married to the ‘terroir’ of sun, soil, wind and location, all bound by the small creek that borders the perimeter of the property.”

“In 2004, Mark founded Ketcham Estate to make wines from the heritage Pinot vines. Every taste of a Ketcham Estate Pinot tells the story of lovingly tended vines; each vintage yields a perfect balance of bright fruit combined with the acid and structure qualities that make outstanding Pinot Noirs. Ketcham Estate Pinot Noirs are drinkable on their own or paired with California’s bounty of wonderful foods.” Ketcham Estate is now owned and managed by Mark’s wife, Allison Ketcham.

“Ketcham Estate is a 17.5 acre property located in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Thirteen acres are under cultivation. They grow Pinot Noir Dijon Clones: 115, 626, 777, 828, and Pommard 4.”

“Ketcham Estate‘s mission is to make seductive wines with rich fruits, that have structure and balance and are very food friendly. Originally specializing in top-notch Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Ketcham Estate is also now making award-winning Chardonnay, Viognier and Estate grown Pinot Noir Rosé wines.”

“Small annual releases and premium location allow Ketcham Estate to focus on creating exceptional wines and experiences for their friends and family.”

“Ketcham Estate is not about what the famed San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen used to call the “Prismatic Luminescence School of Wine Tasting”, or any type of wine snobbery. Just good wine with food, family and friends. Wine should not be some grand complication and neither is Ketcham’s philosophy.”

Allie Ketcham continues as our guest with a glass of Allie’s Reserve Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) in hand.

Show 320, April 20, 2019: Winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave

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Winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez RaveBorn and raised in Columbia, acclaimed Winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave had little exposure to wine culture but, by the age of 14, she knew she would become a winemaker.

“So I packed my bags and left for France. And in that moment I set the course of my life, a never-ending journey pursuing inspirational wines. During the summer of 2001, I immersed myself in all things wine, ultimately earning a BTS degree in Viticulture and Enology from Cognac followed by a degree in Enology from the University of Bordeaux, graduating with honors.”

‘Driven by the tenacity which first took me to France, I pruned vines during ice-cold winters, trimmed shoots in sweltering summers, and tended to the vines that cling to the sheer slopes of Côte-Rôtie—first at Domaine Stéphane Ogier, then at Domaine Clusel-Roch. At the famed estates of Château Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut-Brion, I completed research for my thesis. This hard work paid off – I had the privilege to work among other family-owned wine producers in Burgundy, Alsace, and Cognac. My passion for wine whisked me around the globe, sending me between California, South Africa, and France for several years before I decided to call California my home.”

“By the end of 2011, after many harvests perfecting the craft of making wine, I set upon my own adventure—a label known today as CATTLEYA WINES. Meanwhile, I became a viticulturist and winemaker consultant; focused on vineyard optimization to produce exceptional wines from Sonoma and Napa Valley.”

Bibiana joins us to share her incredible journey. In 2015 she was named “Winemaker of the Year” by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Show 112, February 28, 2015: Tara Gomez, Winemaker & General Manager, Kita Wines

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Tara GomezKita Wines, a premium brand launched by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, has earned numerous distinctions in the handful of years since it became part of the Santa Ynez Valley wine scene. Kita means “our valley oak” in the native language of the Chumash people.

It starts with where the grapes primarily come from – a vineyard situated at the gateway to Santa Barbara County’s renowned Happy Canyon wine region. It’s here at Camp 4 that the soil and climate combine to produce some of the valley’s most sought-after grapes.

Owning both a vineyard and winery has meant the Santa Ynez Chumash are also making history. In fact, the California Legislature has recognized Chumash as the first tribe to have a vineyard and winemaking operation in the country run by tribal people.

At the recent 2015 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Kita was awarded two prestigious Double Golds. One was for the 2012 Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Hilliard Bruce and the other for the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Santa Ynez Valley Camp 4 Vineyard.

Kita’s winemaker and general manager, Tara Gomez, is our guest. Her winemaking degree is from Fresno State. Tara interned at Fess Parker Winery during her college years and worked grape harvests in Spain before starting the Kita Wines venture in 2010. Previously she was the Enologist at both Fess Parker and, later, J. Lohr Winery in Paso Robles. She also had her own wine label way before starting Kita.